Forgiveness

(There is) ... the necessity of a great group participation in a Day of Forgiveness and of Forgetting ... This is a forgiveness which is based upon a recognition of the universality of human error in the past, and the fact that there is no blame to be apportioned to this or that group, nation or church, but that we have all made mistakes, have all failed to understand, and have all been guilty of lack of love and of tolerance.

As you know, the word "forgiveness" is a curious and unusual one and signifies (according to the best derivative sources) simply "to give for." Forgiveness is not therefore, a synonym for pardon though the word has been distorted in theological circles to mean this ... Forgiveness is sacrifice, and is the giving up of one's self, even of one's very life, for the sake of others and for the good of the whole group. This spirit of sacrifice is ever found when the Shamballa force is rightly contacted, even in the smallest degree, and the underlying impulse behind the loving will of God is sensed and understood.

Manifestation is itself the Great Forgiveness. The stupendous Lives — outside manifested existence — entered into manifestation in order to give Themselves for the lesser lives and forms of existence in order that these lesser lives might be enabled to proceed onward towards a goal which is known to Deity alone, and thus eventually reach high places of spiritual expression. Achievement is ever followed by sacrifice and the giving of the greater for the lesser. This is an aspect of the Law of Evolution. Such is the note and theme of the entire creative process and is the basic meaning of the phrase, "God is Love," for love signifies giving and sacrifice, at least in this solar system.

... (There is) harm in not forgiving. Such feelings can only fester under earthly conditions, since in our life, with its awareness of former existences, feelings of rancor become impossible. In each life one finds many occasions for malice; to accumulate them throughout one’s lives would create a long black tail that drags and impedes. With such an appendage one cannot advance!

Decide to forgive.Be the first to forgive,To smile and take the first step ...For by forgivingYou become the master of fateThe doer of miracles.To forgive is the highestMost beautiful form of love.In return you will receiveUntold Peace and Happiness.~ Robert Muller

Around the concept of forgiveness there is a great lack of understanding. One who has forgiven someone assumes that he has accomplished something out of the ordinary, whereas he has merely preserved his own karma from complications. The forgiven one thinks that all has been ended, but, of course, karma remains ahead of him. True, the forgiving one did not intervene in the karma of the forgiven one and thus has not made it more burdensome, but the very law of Karma remains with both participants. The Lords of Karma can alter this to a certain extent if the fire of purification flashes out brightly, but such a flame cannot easily be set alight.

Regarding forgiveness and redemption of sins I wrote more than once, therefore I may as well quote to you this extract: "Just as one chemical ingredient is able to change the whole character of a substance composed of several others, so is the action of a high impulse or quality able to neutralize and overcome the results of an action arising from the base qualities in human nature, and thus to change the entire character of the man, transforming his nature." And, as you know, the transmutation of an inner substance lies in the change of emanations, which, when purified, will react differently upon the effects of the formerly created causes. Only man himself is the creator and also the living record of each motive, each thought, and each deed ...

... only spiritual regeneration can change, or rather weaken the reaction of the effects which we have generated. A High Spirit can help a man in his spiritual regeneration only if that man’s spirit is propelled by a firm decision to redeem everything that he has done. But no mother’s prayers will help unless his spirit feels a high impulse toward purification.

... if the daily recognition of forgiveness in the sense in which St. Paul wrote when he said "Forgetting the things which are behind, press forward," becomes the rule among the men of good will, leading eventually to a world-wide day of forgiveness, then the task of the New Group of World Servers will go forward along constructive and fruitful lines, and will lead to success.

... forgiveness is the result of life. This is a hard truth for the Western believer to accept. He is so used to resting back upon the activity of the Christ in the distant past. Forgiveness is, however, a result of living processes which bring adjustment, cause restitution, and produce that attitude wherein a man is no longer ignorant and therefore not in need of forgiveness. Life and experience do this for us, and nothing can arrest the process.

The recognition of the faculty of forgiveness ... should be the expression of the relationship between unit and unit within the larger group, or of group and group within a still larger whole. Forgiveness is essentially the process whereby each gives to each along psychical lines, and it is one of the rudimentary expressions of the quality of self-sacrifice which is, in its turn, an aspect of the will nature of Deity. Being therefore related to the monadic or will life, it is as yet completely misunderstood and misinterpreted. It is in reality the sense of synthesis or of identification and of "each for all and all for each." This sense is being developed today as never before, but it is still so embryonic that words do not help in explaining it. This faculty of forgiveness is not a form of magnanimous forgetting or overlooking, neither is it a gesture of superiority whereby the slate is wiped clean. It is the very breath of life itself — the giving of all to all and for all.

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.- Unknown

The Gift of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts of spiritual life. It enables us to be released from the sorrows of the past. Forgiveness is simply an act of the heart, a movement to let go of the pain, the resentment, and the outrage we have carried as a burden for so long. It is an easing of our own heart, and an acknowledgment that, no matter how strongly we have suffered from the evil deeds of others, we will not put another human being out of our heart. We have all been harmed, just as we have harmed ourselves and others. Remember, forgiveness is to forget ... to forget is never to bring back to remembrance again.

SouledOut.org "Festival of Goodwill" audio program @;-)click here to listen to audio clip

It is hoped that these quotes on forgiveness, when pondered upon, will create a deeper understanding of this divine attribute and encourage the practice of forgiving.

In practicing forgiveness one will discover where the heart is still imprisoned in pain. In facing the pain and letting it go one will journey from being imprisoned to being empowered in Divine Love. As each of us successfully completes this challenging inner journey, we help our planet evolve.

If you'd like to tell us about your journey in forgiveness, feel free to post as a comment on our blog ~ WeCycleWisdom

For more information on International Forgiveness Day observed each year on the first Sunday in August, check out the World Forgiveness Alliance website.